IR camera not working. Regular webcam works fine.

[Joe-Cooks]

Hello,

I am having issues with windows hello / face recognition. It worked great up until 2-3 weeks ago (I've had for about 8 months). When the problem first started the red lights would flash continuously (searching for my face i assume) and eventually ask me to log in with a pin. I happened to have shaved my beard around that time so I thought it didnt recognize me anymore because my face was different. I then tried to improve recognition at that time but system was unable to do it.  I assumed it was due to the lighting conditions in the enviornment at the time. Fast forward 2 weeks and the IR lights dont flash at all during sign in. As soon as the login screen appears it says "something went wrong, sign in with pin". It's like the computer doesnt even try to find me anymore. In addition when I go to settings > sign in options it says windows hello isnt available on this device. Is there a hardware malfunction in the camera? I have successfully used the camera in other apps to verify that it works (which it does). However, I'm now wondering if the camera works but for some reason the IR doesnt. I'd simply like to isolate the problem so i at least know whats causing it. Is there any way to independently test whether or not the IR in the camera is working?

My specs are as follows:

HP Spectre x360 - 15t-bl100 CTO

Windows 10 pro, version 1803, OS build 17134.345

So far I have tried the following solutions:

1. Uninstalling and reinstalling hp truevision fhd ir camera drivers. No success

2. Installing an older version of the camera driver. No success

3. Enabled the use of biometrics in the local group policy editor (WinR > gpedit.msc). No success

4. Running windows truobleshooter > hardware and devices. No success

5. Running hp support assistant. No success.

6. Resetting firewall. No success

Here are some interesting things I noticed that may or may not make a difference:

1. When looking for solutions online most people were able to find there webcam in the device manager > imaging devices. My webcam is listed under camera in the device manager as hp truevision fhd ir camera and according to the info displayed is working properly.

2. Some have suggested that deleting the profile in settings > sign in options > windows hello might allow me to reset it but I dont see those options. It just says "Windows hello isnt available on this device" followed by "see how it works and find compatible deivces.

It's important for me to identify if this is a hardware issue or something windows / software related before I consider more drastic steps like uninstalling / reinstalling windows completely. It's still under warranty so I suppose I could send it in for repair but both options are a big hassle to try to fix something that doesnt actually affect the performance of the machine.

Sorry for the long post but what I'm really asking is does anyone know of a way I can test the IR camera to see if it's working? If it's not working, anything I do in windows to try to fix it becomes a tremendous waste of time.

[Raj1788]

@Joe-Cooks

Thank you for joining HP Forums.

It's a pleasure assisting you in finding answers to your technical queries.

Check if the Infrared Devices is listed under device manager.

1. Press Windows+X to open the menu, and choose Device Manager on it. 

2. In the device manager, expand category "Imaging devices". 

3. Under this category, right click on your Infrared Devices driver and click on Uninstall. 

4. You may be required to confirm the uninstallation. Check the box next to "Delete the driver software for this device" and click OK button.

5. Restart the computer.

If the issue persists, you may have to reinstall the Operating system using this link: https://support.hp.com/in-en/document/c04758961 

Keep me posted, how it goes!

If the information I've provided was helpful, give us some reinforcement by clicking the Accepted Solution and Kudos buttons, that'll help us and others see that we've got the answers!

Have a great day!

Cheers:)

[Joe-Cooks]

Thank you for the reply Raj. Unfortunately when I open device manager I do not see imaging devices unless I choose view > show hidden devices. Even after showing hidden devices I only see my printer listed under imaging devices. I see HP TrueVision FHD RGB-IR listed under cameras. I have tried the steps you suggested multiple times with the camera in the device manager but have had no success. Here is a screen shot of my device manager.

I know reinstalling OS is standard protocol but I have a lot of software and within that software are even more plugins so reinstalling will be a real pain. Do you really think reinstalling will help here or is it more of a defaut suggestion? If reinstalling doesnt work what would my next steps be? I performed a system restore to a time when I know the camera was working and that was unsuccessful as well so I imagine reinstalling would likely have the same results. Thanks for taking the time to respond. I appreciate your help.

[Raj1788]

@Joe-Cooks

Thanks for the reply,

I suggest you click on this link: https://support.hp.com/in-en/document/c04762483 Using Recovery Manager to Restore Software and Drivers (Windows 10)

Keep me posted, how it goes!

Have a great day!

Cheers:)